Wood furniture units and process of making the same



March 12, 1957 A. D. ANDREEF WOOD FURNITURE UNITS AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Oct. 15. 1952 2 She ets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ALEXIS D. ANDREEF A. D. ANDREEF rch 12, 1957 WOOD FURNITURE UNITS AND PROCESS 'OF MAKING THE SAME 2 Shee'cs--Sheet- 2 Filed Oct. 15 1952 IN VEN TOR. ALE X l 5 D- ANDREEF United States Patent WOOD FURNITURE UNITS AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAME Alexis D. .Andreef, Champlain, N. Y.

Application October 15, 1952, Serial'No. 314,880

8 Claims. (Cl. 155-186) This invention relates to wood furniture units and to process of making a chair and is herein illustrated in some detail as embodied in a chair of extraordinary strength, lightness and beauty.

Chairs have been made of plywood, but have failed to show the expected great strength, when made of large sheets .of plywood, and have been found to have unforeseen serious points of weakness when built out of plywood parts.

Moreover, usually much wasted plywood has been left over in the prior production of chairs and other household furniture from pro-made sheets of plywood.

Thus the chairs hitherto made of plywood failed to compete favorably with modern forms of tubular metal chairs.

According to the present invention the foregoing and other difiiculties and objections havebeen overcome and a chair of the present invention need weigh no more than five and one-half pounds although strong enough to carry heavier loads than ordinary chairs.

To attain these and other ends, the chair is shown as built up of veneer units, of which a large proportion includes layers of wood with the grain running lengthwise. These units are described as built up of sheets cemented together by thermosetting resin.

The veneer units are shown as each approximately straight and instead of curving to turn from a vertical leg to a horizontal seat member, the unit terminates and fits into another 'unitmolded into it. Toattain this purpose, dilferent .layers "of the veneer unit terminate at different angles to the axis of the unit, so that one layer ending at one angle in one'unit, fitsinto 'a space left in the next unit left by cutting off one layer thereof at .a corresponding angle. This leaves the adjacent layers longer by cutting themat a less acute angle, overlapping the layer between them.

Thus a strong angle or turn in the veneer structure is obtained by reasonxo'f the staggered angles that effect that overlapping.

The legs thus readily become apparently curved extensions of seat elements,for example, although in reality, dovetailed into them.

The back of the chair may be similarly molded of nearly straight pieces of veneer in which twonearly vertical members seem to curve edgewise into a horizontal piece, although in reality the vertical members are dovetailed into the horizontal members. Thus the weaknesses of prior structures, which used the flat faces of plywood, is avoided.

Usually the back is molded into a single unit, then cut and bifurcated at the bottoms of the vertical members :to fit into slots cut into the combined leg and seat members, forming a rigid .strongmounting for the back.

.In the ,form shown, the seat and back are formed of stretchedflexible cords which are very satisfactory if of nylon or Orion, threaded across the back from vertical member to vertical member, and threaded to .form the seat threaded from side member "to side member.

To enable the seat side members which in 'effectare unitary extensions of the legs, .to resist the :pullof the front seat cords, there is shown a transverse rod for holding the tops of the frontlegs apart, against the tension of the seat cord.

The beauty and strength of .the wood is preserved in the finished chair byproviding the veneer with outside layers of lengthwise grain but at about forty-five degrees at the end to fit against end of the adjacent veneer member.

The tension of the seat cords tends to bend the leg units toward eachother thus wedging the back unit inplace,

.and this wedging is increased when a person sits o'n'the seat. In addition the back cords tend to twist the inner fingers of the bifurcations of the back against the sides of the seat units thus further wedging the back in place.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l shows'an exploded view of one veneer leg;

Fig. 2 shows a finished leg member ready toreceive the back member;

Fig. 3 shows the finished back ready toassemble'with the leg members; i i

Fig. 4 shows the finished chair in perspective.

The leg unit shown in Fig. 2, as including the front and back legs 10 and 11 of one side is built outof. the veneer units 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 shown in Fig. l, or a selection from them.

Preferably the leg 10 includes an outer veneer layer 12 cut, nearly straight piece 19, cut at one end, an angle 20 of about degrees, and a cross element 21 cut about 45 degrees to fit :the angle 20,.and the leg 11 made by cuts symmetrical to the leg .10, in a nearly identical straight cut outer veneer layer 12.

The outer layers 12 lie on an inner layer 13, made of a front leg piece 22, a cross-'piece23, and a rear leg 24.

As shown the leg pieces 22, 24, join the cross-piece 23 at an angle 25 staggered to the angle 20 or different from the angle 20 andshown' as approximately an extension of the adjacent straight side of the leg 24.

The layer 13 may liedirectly on the layer 15, which includes leg pieces 26, 27 united at the same different or staggered angle 29 to the cross-piece 28, and shown as a continuation of the adjacent straight side of the crosspiece 28.

The layer 15 may lie against a layer 17 identical with the layer 13, and the layer 17 may lie against a layer 18 identical with the layer 12.

The structure just described was cemented under pressure and heat into a unit by thermosetting resin, such as phenol formaldehyde resin, or a thermosetting urea or melamine resin, and was of great strength, more than adequate for a chair frame when the outer layers were onetwenty-eighth of an inch in thickness and. the three inner layers one-quarter inch thick each, and the legs were one and one-half inches broad at the bottom.

It is usually essential that the joints of layer 15 be used only on a center layer, and that all other layers be built with staggered joints at an acute angle thereto.

A somewhat stronger leg unit is obtained when a layer 14 is interposed between'the central layer 15 and the layer 13, with joints 29 at an angle staggered with both angle 25 and the angle 30 of layer 15, and when there is also interposed alayer 16 with staggered joints 31 which may be identical with the layer 14. This increased strength is obtained even if the summed up thickness of the layers 13 and 14 and of the layers 16 and 17 is each equal to the quarter inch of the layers 13 and 17 as first described.

Much of the best results are obtained if the grain of each piece runs along its greatest length, although adequate strength is usually obtainable when two-thirds of the layers carry lengthwise grain.

The angle 20 of the outerlayers 12 and 18 in walnut .wood is well adapted togivean attractive finish such as walnut to the chair sides. Maple and birch are suitable for inside layers.

The leg units 10 are readily rounded at the front cornerj'32, and the cross-pieces cut on top with a descendingcurve from the back legs 11, and cut with a somewhat sloping slot 33 to receive a sloping back unit 34 'arms 37 the back slotted to fit the slots 33, and thus support the back when the back is wedged in place in the slots 33.

When the back 34 and two leg units are assembled, the

back is shown as completed by threading suitably spaced bights of nylon cord 38 through front to back openings 39. Good results are obtained by threading a single nylon cord to successively form the bights.

- The seat of the chair is shown as completed by threading suitably. spaced bights of .nylon cord 40 through side to side openings 41, previously inserting a spacing rod 42 across between the tops of the front legs 10. The rod .42 mayseat itself loosely-in bored holes, permitting thenylon under tension totend to draw the side members together to jam them on the bifurcations of the back member. In the same way the back nylon cord jams the back bifurcations against the side members.

The members are readily built by stapling or gluing together the parts at the corners, preferably using perforated paper to hold each layer in position while allowing resin to penetrate and saturating the material with the resin material, and heating for, say, twenty minutes.

Having thus described one form of the invention in some detail, what is claimed is:

1. A chair having legs of wood veneer, side seat members-of wood beneer, said leg veneer layers including outer layers of wood with grain running lengthwise, and cut off at the seatend at an angle of about fortyfive degrees, and including at least two inner layers with grain running lengthwise, cut off at other and different angles, said seat veneer layers including outer layers of wood with grain running lengthwise and cut off at an angle of about forty-five degrees abutting the cut leg outer layer, and also including at least two inner layers with grain running lengthwise and abutting at different angles to lie smoothly against corresponding layers of:

leg veneer, a hardened thermosetting material permeating said veneers and uniting them into a unit, a back having substantially vertical members of veneer with grain running lengthwise and layers cut at their lower ends at angles differing from each other in diiferent 1 layers, and a bottom cross-piece with layers of veneer with grain running lengthwise and cut at each end with layers having ends cut at angles differing from each other, and abutting the angles of corresponding layers in the vertical members, and cords stretched transversely of the'seat and back to form the seat and back, and a hardened thermosetting material permeating said back veneers and-uniting them into a unit, and means holding the legs and back together.

2. A chair having legs of Wood veneer, sidc seat mem bers of wood veneer slotted near the back, said leg veneerlaycrs including an outer layer of wood with grain running lengthwise, and cut off at the seat at an angle ofabout forty-five degrees, and including at least two inner layers with grain running lengthwise, cut off and abutting at staggered angles, said seat veneer layers including outer layers of wood with grain running lengthwise and cut off at an angle of about forty-five degrees to abut the 'cut leg outer layer, and also including at least two inner layers with grain running lengthwise and cut off at different angles and abutting smoothly against corresponding layers of leg veneer, a hardened thermosetting material permeating said veneers and uniting them into a unit, a back having substantially vertical members of veneer with grain running lengthwise and layers cut at their lower ends at staggered angles in different layers, and a bottom cross-piece slotted to fit the seat piece slots with layers of veneer with grain running lengthwise and cut at each end with layers having ends cut at staggered angles, and abutting the angles of corresponding layers in the vertcial members, a hardened thermosetting material permeating said back veneers and uniting them into a unit, and means connecting the seat pieces to form a seat, and means connecting the back vertical members to form a back.

3. A furniture unit including two nearly straight wood parts that meet at nearly a right angle, each part including at least three veneer layers abutting against three'layers of the veneer of the other part so that one veneer layer of each part abuts against the corresponding veneer layer of the other part along one angle of contact, and any adjacent veneer layer of one part abuts a veneer layer of the other part along an angle of contact differing from any angle of contact of the adjacent layers, and a hardened thermosetting synthetic material permeating the layers and uniting all layers into a unit.

4. A furniture unit including two nearly straight wood parts that meet at nearly a right angle, each part in-. cluding at least three veneer layers abutting against three layers of the veneer of the other part so that one veneer layer of each part abuts against the corresponding veneer layer of the other part along one angle of contact, and any adjacent veneer layer of one part abuts a veneer layer of the other part along an angle of contact differing from any angle of contact of the adjacent layers, outer veneer layers of a different wood lying on the opposite faces of said parts and abutting at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the length of the two parts, and a hardened thermosetting synthetic material permeating the layers and uniting all layers into a unit.

5. A furniture unit including two nearly straight wood parts that meet at nearly a right angle, each with grain running substantially lengthwise, each part including five layers of veneer lying against each other and abutting against five layers lying against each other in the other part at angles staggered in layers that lie against each other, and hardened thermosetting material permeating the layers and uniting all layers into a unit.

6. A chair having legs of wood veneer, side seat members of wood veneer slotted near the back, said leg veneer layers including an outer layer of wood with grain running lengthwise, and cut off at the seat at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and including at least two inner layers with grain running lengthwise, cut off and abut-. ting at staggered angles, said seat veneer layers including outer layers of wood with grain running lengthwise and cut off at an angle of about forty-five degrees toabut the cut leg outer layer, and also including at least two inner layers with grain running lengthwise and cut off at. different angles and abutting smoothly against corresponding layers of leg veneer, a hardened thermosetting material permeating said veneers and uniting them into a unit, a back having substantially vertical members of veneer with grain running lengthwise and layers cut at their lower ends at staggered angles in different layers, and a bottom cross-piece slotted to fit the seat piece slots with layers of veneer with grain running lengthwise and cut at each end with layers having ends cut at staggered angles and abutting the angles of correspondinglayers in the vertical members, a stretched cord back extending between the uprights and drawing on them to wedge the back piece in the seat slots, and a stretched cord seat back extending between the seat pieces and tending to draw the seat pieces against the back seat piece.

7. In a chair the combination with a side piece having grain running approximately lengthwise and terminating in a smooth continuation of the outer surface of the end of the chair elements, a leg element on each side of the side piece each having grain running approximately lengthwise and lying against the side face of the side piece and terminating withan end forming a smooth surface with the adjacent side piece, and a third leg element lying between said side pieces and having an end that abuts against the edge of the side piece adjacent the smooth termination, and hardened thermoset resin binding all said leg elements and side pieces into a unit.

8. In a chair the combination with a side piece having grain running approximately lengthwise and terminating in a smooth continuation of the outer surface of the end of the chair elements, a leg element on each side of the side piece each having grain running approximately lengthwise and lying against the side face of the side piece and terminating with an end forming a smooth surface with the adjacent side piece, a third leg element lying between said side pieces and having an end that abuts against the edge of the side piece adjacent the smooth termination, a hardened thermoset resin binding all said leg elements and side pieces into a unit, and outer leg and side elements covering the foresaid and meeting at an angle of about 45 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 168,501 Guillon Dec. 30, 1952 270,749 Comstock Jan. 16, 1883 1,628,886 Jackson et al. May 17, 1927 2,271,461 Musselman Ian. 27, 1942 2,288,193 Horn et a1 June 30, 1942 2,344,722 Pasquier Mar. 21, 1944 2,479,086 Silverman Aug. 16, 1949 2,488,728 Kopplin Nov. 22, 1949 2,582,065 Rasor Ian. 8, 1952 2,589,316 Young Mar. 18, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 159,369 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1933 

